I've never had a scope break from shooting it on a gun. In fact I've never had a scope break and I've been shooting for 30 years now. Never had a scope cost over 200 bucks. I think if you stick with a name brand scope and get one with the correct mounts, it should last you decades if you take care of it. If you just have to go out and get a $500 or more scope to make you feel better, go for it. I know scope prices have gone up in price but most manufactures still offer great scopes for a food price and I'm not talking $500.00. Everything has gotten better in the scope world then it was 20 years ago and we learned to shoot with what we had and could afford. Everyone talks about having to get a scope that cost at least as much as your gun or twice more. I think that is bull unless you are shooting out to a 1000 yards.

If you aren't planning on taking shots past 200 yards or so, I'd save up a little more money and buy an Aimpoint 9000L (assuming your 700 is a long action like a .30-06). There's a shorter, functionally identically model for short actions (9000SC, I think) if you have a .308.

If you take reasonable care of your Aimpoint, it will provide many years of good service and battery life is exceptional.

I wouldn't bother with a magnifying optic that costs less than the rifle it's mounted to. Quality glass will never be inexpensive and you'll only end up spending more money for quality glass (like I did after learning, or not learning, the hard way several times).

Inexpensive and "lasts a lifetime" are generally not words that go together in the same sentence..

I've never had a scope break from shooting it on a gun. In fact I've never had a scope break and I've been shooting for 30 years now. Never had a scope cost over 200 bucks. I think if you stick with a name brand scope and get one with the correct mounts, it should last you decades if you take care of it. If you just have to go out and get a $500 or more scope to make you feel better, go for it. I know scope prices have gone up in price but most manufactures still offer great scopes for a food price and I'm not talking $500.00. Everything has gotten better in the scope world then it was 20 years ago and we learned to shoot with what we had and could afford. Everyone talks about having to get a scope that cost at least as much as your gun or twice more. I think that is bull unless you are shooting out to a 1000 yards.

Well, over the last 50 years, I've owned at least a dozen cheap scopes, from Bushnell, Tasco, Simmons, Weaver ,etc and I'v e eventually regretted buying every one of them.

Leupold is as cheap as I'm willing to go.

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I've never had a scope break from shooting it on a gun. In fact I've never had a scope break and I've been shooting for 30 years now. Never had a scope cost over 200 bucks. I think if you stick with a name brand scope and get one with the correct mounts, it should last you decades if you take care of it. If you just have to go out and get a $500 or more scope to make you feel better, go for it. I know scope prices have gone up in price but most manufactures still offer great scopes for a food price and I'm not talking $500.00. Everything has gotten better in the scope world then it was 20 years ago and we learned to shoot with what we had and could afford. Everyone talks about having to get a scope that cost at least as much as your gun or twice more. I think that is bull unless you are shooting out to a 1000 yards.

I pay a bit more for a scope for reasons other than just to make me feel better. Like, high-quality, clear glass, coatings that maximize light transmission, lifetime warranties, features like illuminated reticles via fiber optics and tritium, specifications meeting robust military standards, manufacturing from places other than China, etc.

Yea but how many of us are going to buy a $500 scope for a Ruger 10/22. This is my point. Like I said one scope doesn't fit all guns and thats what hes wanting to do. Buy one scope for his 10/22 and then later put that scope on another rifle. Is he going to buy another scope for the 10/22 if that scope goes on the other rifle and if so is he going to pay another $500. For it too just in case he buys another rifle. I doubt it. Thats why I say there is nothing wrong with buying a scope that doesn't cost $500.

In my neck of the woods, scopes have sorta lost luster. If you're out in the woods and it's snowing, the fun begins. I have seen the fancy flip up covers that are fun to flip in the heat of a hunt. They're not a panacea. Scopes on some guns don't make sense.

I've never had a scope break from shooting it on a gun. In fact I've never had a scope break and I've been shooting for 30 years now. Never had a scope cost over 200 bucks. I think if you stick with a name brand scope and get one with the correct mounts, it should last you decades if you take care of it. If you just have to go out and get a $500 or more scope to make you feel better, go for it. I know scope prices have gone up in price but most manufactures still offer great scopes for a food price and I'm not talking $500.00. Everything has gotten better in the scope world then it was 20 years ago and we learned to shoot with what we had and could afford. Everyone talks about having to get a scope that cost at least as much as your gun or twice more. I think that is bull unless you are shooting out to a 1000 yards.

i shoot some bigger calibers. 45-70, 458 winmag, 458 socom, 458 Lott. ive yet to find a leupold that will not simply self disassemble under the recoil conditions from these rounds. biggest disapointment was my prized leupold vx7 delaminating after only 60 rounds of 458winmag loaded up with a 350grain bullet scooting out at 2400fps.

my socom ate a leupold mark4.

ive tried cheaper scopes and they just get eaten alive. my current optics of choice are the nikon monarch line nitforce and trijicon scopes. those seem to be the only ones ive tried that have not had catastrophic melt downs under recoil.

after tossing a lot of money away on cheap low end glass ive come to the conclusion that if your actually shooting a lot and you want good glass its just best to get something of decent quality even if you have to save a bit longer to get it.

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